Mother Marianne joins hall of fame

WAILUKU » Mother Marianne Cope, the Roman Catholic nun who ministered to leprosy patients on Molokai alongside Father Damien DeVeuster, has been inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame.

Mother Marianne and nine other women, including Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., were enshrined over the weekend in Seneca Falls, N.Y.

No one from Kalaupapa was able to attend, but the community sent maile and orchid lei that fellow Franciscan nuns draped over a large panel that holds Mother Marianne's photograph and a narrative of her life as a health care pioneer. In May, Mother Marianne moved one step closer to sainthood when she was beatified during a ceremony in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Two days later, Pope Benedict XVI met with the 24-year-old American woman whose cure from multiple organ failure set Mother Marianne on the road to sainthood.

Woman charged in prostitution ring

A federal grand jury has indicted a 37-year-old woman for traveling to Hawaii to promote a prostitution ring that allegedly brought eight women here since February to become prostitutes.

Wan Yo Kang, also known as "Hannah" or "Sophia," was also charged in a 11-count indictment yesterday with knowingly luring the women to travel here for the purposes of prostitution, a federal offense punishable by a maximum 20-year prison term. Because two of the women were aliens, Wang also faces two counts of harboring aliens at a building at 350 Ward Ave.

Wang is currently out on bail. She could not be reached for comment.

UH cancer relay registration tonight

The University of Hawaii-Manoa's Relay for Life will kick off its 2006 team registration at 7 tonight in the athletic department lecture hall.

Academic awards

» Teachers Maile Chow of Sacred Hearts Academy and Baron Steffen of Aikahi Elementary both won trips for two to Fiji for being nominated "best teacher" in a student essay contest.

Makai Ocean Lifestyle Magazine and Business & Leisure Holidays sponsored the "Recess for Teachers" contest. Students Madison Brooke, an 11th-grader at Sacred Hearts, and Joshua K. Hannum, a fifth-grader at Aikahi, won the contest for their age categories.

» Hawaii Community College student David Saulibio has received the 2005 Masaki and Momoe Kunimoto Memorial Award for Outstanding Contribution to Vocational Education. He is in the architectural, engineering and technologies program, and a leader in several volunteer vocational and educational activities.

"Taking Notice" also runs on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Police, Fire, Courts

By Star-Bulletin staff

HONOLULU

Man critically injured in Kaimuki stabbing
A 26-year-old Waimanalo man was stabbed last night at Kaimuki District Park at Waialae and 11th avenues.

Police said two groups were involved in a fight when a 29-year-old Kalihi man allegedly stabbed the Waimanalo man with a knife.

Police arrested the suspect for second-degree attempted murder.

The victim was taken to the Queen's Medical Center, where he remained in critical condition, according to police.

The stabbing was reported at 6:35 p.m.

Gunman takes off without cash in Kalihi

Police are searching for a gunman who ordered a Kalihi gas station cashier to give him cash at 6 a.m. yesterday but escaped without any money.

Police said the robbery occurred at the Kalihi Chevron at 1715 N. King St.

The suspect was seen getting into the passenger side of a white van, police said.

The suspect is described as a man with a heavy build, 5 feet 8 inches tall, 200 pounds, wearing a light blue T-shirt and white shorts.

WINDWARD OAHU

Driver escapes after lengthy HPD pursuit
Police are looking for a would-be car thief who led police on a midday chase across the island.

Personnel in a police helicopter were watching a stolen vehicle in Waimanalo. The helicopter followed the vehicle while patrol officers took positions on the ground to monitor the vehicle.

The helicopter followed the vehicle through East Oahu to the H-1 freeway and the airport area, police said.

The helicopter lost sight of the vehicle and the suspect abandoned it near Budget Car Rental.

When the suspect tried to steal a Budget car, Budget employees stopped him but did not detain him.